The church is supposed to be a blessing to the world. A pastor should be the greatest champion of grace and truth. There is nothing more perverse and distorted than a toxic pastor. Learn how to confront an abusive pastor.
Many people struggle with feelings of anger even after they believe they have forgiven their offender. Can anger and forgiveness coexist? This article takes a look at this important question.
Brene Brown has become successful talking about something that no one wants to talk about: SHAME. Shame is the great inhibitor. It keeps individuals and organizations from becoming what they were meant to be. Wise leaders will learn all they can about shame.
After experiencing church hurt or trauma, finding a new community feels risky. Use this practical "Healthy Church Checklist" to evaluate leadership, accountability, and tone so you can find a safe place to heal and grow without the fear of being burned again.
Recovering from a church split is a journey through grief and spiritual trauma. Learn how to prioritize relationships over rules and find God’s purpose in the pain of a divided congregation.
Is Romans 13 a mandate for blind obedience? From the streets of Minneapolis to the words of Dietrich Bonhoeffer, I explore why Christians are called to drive a spoke into the wheel of injustice.
The Somali residents in Minneapolis were recently referred to as “garbage” by the president of the United States. This hateful statement can only cause division. But there is another kingdom, not of this world, that promotes the very opposite (unity) and is something we should strive for.
Have you been hurt by spiritual abuse or a bad church experience? Have you considered walking away from your faith and church? Discover 10 powerful reasons to hold on to your faith and continue to believe in Jesus, even when others let you down.
The Tinder Swindler persuaded vulnerable women to hand over thousands of dollars. Unfortunately, similar schemes appear across Facebook and even within church communities. Here are important lessons to help prevent others from being exploited.
Why do bad things keep happening to you? Is God against you? Is it your fate? Do you somehow invite bad things into your life? These ten reasons might help you to turn things around in your life.
Too often church pastors want to control the thoughts and behaviors of their church members. This undermines God’s desire to develop a relationship with people individually. The Bible tells us that we are meant to make our own choices.
When you’ve experienced church abuse, or any significant loss, it’s easy to get stuck in a form of exile where you feel lost and disoriented. This post offers a brief roadmap to help people find the path to recovery.
A few moments of denial can cause long term damage. But if you can manage those moments, you will save yourself much pain. Learn the wisdom that the Bible offers regarding temptation.
In Scot McKnight’s latest book, Invisible Jesus, he looks at the recent Deconstruction movement and helps people to navigate this journey. Find out his main points and if this books is worth your read.
The recent upheaval in Daystar Ministries has caused people to question how we hear the voice of God and the role of spiritual authority. In this post I offer an alternative view to what is often too quickly accepted as God’s truth.
I’ll be teaching over a two week period to students and pastors in Ecuador.
People are leaving the church and pastors wonder why. They are speaking the truth, right? It might have to do with the words they use and the tone in which they speak their words. Learn how churches can speak in a way that lifts up and encourages people rather than making them feel condemned.
People often fail to forgive another person because they misunderstand the meaning of forgiveness. This post is part three of a three part series defining forgiveness. Learn three more things that forgiveness is NOT.
People often fail to forgive another person because they misunderstand the meaning of forgiveness. This post is part two of a three part series defining forgiveness. In this post, learn three things that forgiveness is not.
People often fail to forgive because they don’t understand what forgiveness is. This brief article defines forgiveness in simple terms.
If you are looking to find your purpose in life, it may not be in a career or even a ministry. The Bible gives us a good indication of our purpose by listening to an ancient prophet.
Too often the behavior of Christians doesn’t line up with their claim to be God’s child, earning the name: hypocrite. This post looks at the need to align your behavior with your identity in Christ as God’s child and follower of Jesus.
Abusive church leaders misuse Matthew 18 to silence their victims. Learn why it may not apply to pastors and what you can do instead.
Where do you turn when life feels like it is spinning out of control? The Bible not only gives us the example of Jesus but also powerful verses to meditate on to find God’s peace.
When Jesus was arrested, his disciples reacted in fear. Maybe you can relate. Fear turns us into control freaks and robs us of our future.
When Jesus was arrested, his followers were gripped by fear. This post helps to better understand the effect that fear has on us and how to overcome it.
In this post I relate my experience traveling to Chile (Antofagasta and Calama) to encourage two churches in their efforts to serve the poor.
This is my second post with some of the questions and answers from when I was interviewed by Christy Boulware for her podcast. We looked at spiritual abuse and women in ministry.
I join Christy Boulware on her podcast to kick off her new series on “Resilience in the Pews: Tackling Anxiety and Church Wounds. In this post I answer a few of the questions that she posed to me about spiritual abuse.
In November of 2023, Anderson Cooper sat down with President Biden to talk about grief on Anderson’s “All There Is” podcast. Take time to face your grief and let God use it to change you into the person you are meant to be.
No one likes to be weak. And no one wants God to be weak. But sometimes God shows up in his weakness as well as ours. An Advent meditation.
Advent…the season when we reflect on God entering the world through a baby, reveals a side of God that we might not expect: weakness. How might the “weakness” of God encourage you this Christmas?
People can easily find themselves caught in the web of a spiritually abusive church. How does that happen? And how can you prevent that from happening again? This post offers practical steps that you can take to protect yourself by setting boundaries.
Experiencing loss is much like being sent into a deep emotional exile. The intense grief that accompanies loss can leave you feeling isolated and disconnected from the life you once knew and cherished. However, it is possible to find your way back. Here are five practical steps you can take to begin the journey of healing and restoration, ultimately returning to a life full of hope and flourishing.